A Chance of Thunder
by nixdragon
Summary: Aldrif's big brothers have always caused trouble but when Loki is revealed to to be a traitor and Thor is banished, suddenly it's up to Aldrif to step up. And she might not want to clean up their mess. Sisterfic. Pairing TBD. Maybe joining with MCU.
1. Chapter 1

If Aldrif had known it was the day of her first real fight, she might have been more excited when the sun peeked through her window. She might not have dragged her feet, studying the light skittering across her room from the gold walls of Asgard's palace. She might have chosen to practice her magic or swing her sword, not to study her face and wonder if it would ever command respect or fear like her brothers.

If Princess Aldrif of Asgard had known what was about to happen,she might have chosen something more practical to wear than a flowing white dress.

But so far all she knew was that it was Thor's day-her brother's day-and she would… she would…

She would hate every second of it.

Aldrif buckled a decorative chestplate over the dress, the glittering gold more like her mother's jewelry then anything Thor or Loki might have gotten. Her eyes checked the mirror and then slid across her room, finding her armor where it stood useless on display. She raised a lazy hand toward it, consideration on her face.

But no, people might make comments if she wore it. Comparisons to Sif. Even harder to take then the comparisons to her brothers because… well likely because Aldrif could remind herself of all the idiot things she'd seen her brothers done. Made her brothers done.

Instead, Aldrif's hand gestured to the sword thrown at the armor's feet. She pulled at the magic like her mother had taught her.

A shadow appeared.

Almost like smoke, but without any softness, the shadow reached across the room and seized the sword. It lifted the weapon with ease and brought it back to the princess who caught it and buckled it at her waist. The shadow then reached up and fixed a stray hair that had drifted too close to Aldrif's eye before trickling back to the ground and fading away.

Aldrif studied the mirror again and found herself standing taller. She may be young but she had her place in Asgard. She would have a place in Thor's kingdom. She would serve her people.

If she only could figure out how.

…

It was afternoon by the time she saw her brothers.

Thor, devouring half a table, grinned through a mouthful of food when he saw her arrive. She couldn't help but smile back as she slipped into the chair across from him.

He's your brother. He loves you. It will be alright.

"This is how you prepare?" She rested her chin on one fist, the other hand settled under the table and summoning magic. She reached out a shadow, letting it sneak along the table.

Thor laughed. "Of course! You've got to learn to keep your strength up, sister."

Her shadow reached Thor's plate, her brother's attention still on her as he raised his mug. Aldrif sat up a little straighter for a better view, torn between stealing an apple or just tossing it at his face. She would have to move quickly: if Thor threw the mug into the fire, the flash of light would reveal her plan. Unless maybe she-

"Oh, no, you don't."

Aldrif smiled at Loki as he appeared behind Thor and snatched up the apple for himself. Thor laughed again as he caught sight of her magic retreating and turned to give their brother a thankful cuff on the shoulder. Loki staggered slightly and Aldrif caught a flash of annoyance on his face but he recovered quickly. Back straight, he moved around the table until he stood halfway between Thor and Aldrif, giving his younger sister a wink.

"Nervous, brother? Not like you to miss Aldrif's little tricks."

"Have you ever known me to be nervous?" Thor scoffed. He pulled back from the table and then reconsidered, snatching up one more bit of meat from his plate.

"There was that time in Nornheim…" Loki teased.

Aldrif lost interest-yet another adventure before her time. She stood and snatched up a bit of meat pie and moved slowly to the door. She glanced back once, resting a free hand against the door frame, to see her brothers looking serious and deadly. Fire glinting off their armor. Thor tall and brilliant and uncaring and Loki just a little bit shorter and a little bit more sinister and a little bit too earnest looking for the conversation she'd thought she was walking away from.

The princes.

Soon to be only one prince.

And she hadn't even had a chance to prove herself.

Aldrif walked away, heading down through the massive halls of the palace until they grew narrow. The rooms upstairs had narrow windows but here there were none at all and she glanced behind her as it grew darker. Sometimes Loki followed her. Sometimes she found Hogun with the other warriors lurking in a corner, usually with the latter trying to convince Hogun to play some trick or do something stupid.

Aldrif sighed as she looked at her path again. She was going to be late to the coronation. Mother would disapprove. Father would think she was just like Thor. But what did it matter anymore?

The princess smiled to herself. She was being even more pessimistic than Loki about this. Thor was less protective than Odin: he'd helped Sif show that she could be a warrior, hadn't he? Maybe now she'd have more freedom. She could do…. something...she didn't know what... But everyone would stop seeing the useless little girl, the precious innocent princess. There would be stories about her.

Aldrif reached the vault and nodded to the guards. They were used to her showing up at all hours to look at her father's treasure. Sometimes she walked through and picked her favorite weapon, sometimes she studied the magic and wondered how hard it would be to recreate it, sometimes she brought a book with her and looked for ways to destroy the things.

Today she simply wandered through the vault, not really looking or thinking as she passed the displays and the pools of water set between them. The guards continued their rounds, hiding any confusion that she wasn't at the coronation. Maybe they thought she was fetching something for it. Maybe they just knew how to mind their own business. Aldrif smiled but suddenly felt lost again as she caught a hint of cheering echoing through the vault from the distant throne room. Was Thor king already? Good. The people loved him. Everything was good. It was fine. She was sister to a king and she could work with that. She could get what she wanted. If only-

What was that noise?

Aldrif spun around to find the floor crackling with spreading ice, growing nearer every second. She drew her sword and found it trembling slightly as she gripped it with both hands and the guards stepped quickly between her and the enemy. Where was the enemy?

One guard took a hesitant step toward the decorative pool of water, breath fogging as it grew quicker.

He didn't have much time to study the ice.

A monster leapt out and impaled him, blue skin sharp with icicles, its own arms formed into vicious swords. It shrieked and turned toward the second guard and the princess where they stood at the end of the vault, ready to fight. It's eyes widened when it saw Aldrif.

Two other monsters, both with the same blue skin, appeared beside it and charged toward Aldrif. Their eyes were on the relic behind her and she moved to block their view, the relic's blue glow reflecting oddly on her white dress. She ignored the thunder of her heart and raised her sword, stepping toward the enemy and brushing the guard aside as she called up her magic.

The monsters hesitated at her approach and one actually stepped back. Its red eyes flicked to the mass of shadows gathering around the hand she'd taken from her sword. Aldrif's eyes began to glimmer darkly and she saw a hint of fear in the monster's face.

"A trap!" It hissed.

Now what the hell did that mean?


	2. Chapter 2

It was too late to think about it as she raised her blade and faced her first true enemy. Her thoughts flickered to her brothers and she wished they were by her side, to her armor which should have been heavy on her shoulders instead of the silly decoration that passed for her chest plate.

She had a dress sword, dress armor, magic she'd only ever used to show off.

There was no one to help her but a useless guard, barely any bigger then she was next to the tall, tall monsters.

No time to worry about that.

So Aldrif struck.

And her first fight began.

Aldrif's first sword swing was defensive. The leader of the three monsters charged her and she met his icy swing with her blade and a gasp. She sent her shadow between his legs, trying to trip him a moment he stumbled "Get help." Aldrif didn't recognize her own voice as she gave the order.

Her icy eyes did not leave the enemy.

Another of the monsters prepared to edge past on her right.

"Run left!" She barked.

Her only ally slipped past, shoved past the third, numb looking monster, and was gone.

He at least seemed afraid of her now, but there were three of them and there was only so far confidence could take her before she got that spike of ice through her own heart.

She considered.

The second monster was smaller. She could last against him.

Aldrif commanded the shadow to continue wisping its way around the snarling first monster's feet and turned her sword on the smaller of the two, on the attack now. She managed to shove him back, falling against the wall of the narrow vault as she did so.

The larger monster screamed with rage and kicked off the shadows as Aldrif's concentration failed. It lunged at her and she screamed right back, throwing up her sword. She blocked the spiked arm again but this time her cold hands couldn't take the jar of impact.

Her only weapon sprang from her hands.

Aldrif kicked out, using the wall as leverage. The largest of the monsters fell back and the princess dove toward the blue relic. She clawed her way forward, stood, only to trip over the length of her dress. Landing on her knees, she quickly twisted to face the grinning monsters as they stomped nearer again.

Had she _seriously_ hurried over to the _one_ pedestal that _didn't_ have a _weapon?_

Aldrif let out a hysterical laugh and, for lack of a better plan, held up her hands. Black shadows began to gather around both of them, gathering into a sharp point similar to the monster's ice weapon.

The third monster, already stepping back at the sound of the laugh, turned and disappeared.

Two monsters left.

They charged her as one and she managed to block the smaller one's swing completely. The larger one swung low and she had to deflect his blow, feeling the ice leaching toward her as it slipped past her side and buried in the relic's pillar.

The creature growled out an order she couldn't understand.

The blows came faster, swinging for her head, her arms, her legs. She blocked them all, feeling more and more desperate. Two of them. She was going to lose against _two_ of them. Her death wouldn't even make a good story.

Oh, what did the story matter if she was going to die?

Aldrif struggled back to her feet and buried the spike of shadow in the smaller monster's side but it cost her her balance. In the split second she was open, blue fists came and shoved her violently against the wall of the vault. Her gold chest plate covered with frost and the princess began to shiver, losing her grasp on magic as the larger monster stepped over his bleeding companion and raised its arm for a killing blow.

Aldrif gritted her teeth and raised shaking, bare hands as her last defense.

Fear seemed to swallow her whole and the world became very far away.

And then a hundred stories up, her father stopped in the middle of declaring her brother king, finally sensing the intrusion.

"Frost giants."

It was the monster's turn to feel fear.

Aldrif felt as though the scene were happening to someone else as the Destroyer blasted its way through the remaining monster. She managed to turn her head to watch the gate close back up and then numb fingers struggled to unlatch the freezing chest plate. She wanted the dress off too if she was honest, but it turned out not to be an option as the chest plate proved too much for her shaking fingers to remove at the moment.

The monster she'd stabbed lay dead from the wound she'd given it, it's red eyes staring. Aldrif couldn't quite make it to her feet but she managed her way to its side and closed the eyes roughly. The body was already growing warmer.

What had his story been?

The larger monster's body was ash.

She was covered in its ash.

She wasn't sure what she was about to do when she heard footsteps. She heard Thor's yell and her instinct was to run to him crying like she had when they were little and Loki had been a little too mean. Instead, she fought her way to her feet and stood as straight as she could, eyes sharp as they met her brother's when he appeared in the doorway.

"One escaped." She saw Loki's eyes stop scanning the room and narrow on her as she spoke. "It thought I was a trap." She waved a hand helplessly.

"Fine work, little sister." Thor boomed, as Odin appeared at his side. She wanted to punch him but despite his words he moved in and he wrapped a giant arm around her shoulders. He felt his little sister shaking beside him and he looked confused for a moment before noting how cold she was and stepping aside to wrap his cloak around her shoulders.

Loki's eyes never left her face. He stood at the spot where she'd first caught sight of him, just inside the entrance, appearing to take in every detail of the scene. Aldrif knew him well enough to know he was thinking quickly.

Aldrif opened her mouth to ask Loki for his theories, wanting answers herself but Thor was already moving toward father again, angrier by the second.

"The Jotun must pay for what they've done."

Frost Giants.

Somehow, she preferred to think of them as monsters.

Her father wandered over the relic, studying it. She couldn't see his face.

"They have paid with their lives. The Destroyer did its job, and the Casket is safe. Aldrif is safe. All is well."

"All is well?" Thor forgot about Aldrif, storming toward Odin. Aldrif looked down again at the body at her feet, at the ash marking her white dress. "They broke into the weapons vault! They attacked a princess of Asgard! If the Frost Giants had stolen-"

"But they didn't."

"I want to know why they-"

Aldrif almost spoke up then, to tell Thor it was useless.

Thor roared over anything she could have said. "The Casket of Ancient Winters belonged to the Jotuns. They believe it's their birthright."

Aldrif walked away from them, finding the body of the first guard, the dead guard. His eyes were closed by his mouth was hanging open and he was twisted uncomfortably where he'd fallen. Aldrif quietly reached out a shadow and it moved the man to a position more like sleep. Thor called for war and she couldn't quite say that her anger didn't call for the same.

"March into Jotunheim as you once did, teach them a lesson, break their spirits so they'll never dare try to cross our borders again!"

"The one who fled would be able to give us some answers." Aldrif put in. "Some justice."

"You are thinking as a warrior," Odin said. "Revenge is not justice."

Thor had been turned toward her in approval but now he turned back to roar at their father. "As king of Asgard…."

Aldrif looked to Loki for his opinion only to find him considering her with a raised eyebrow. Before she could speak and ask why he was suddenly so quiet, Odin's voice thundered through and broke all three of them from their planning.

"But you're _not king_."

The room stilled. Thor stared at Odin for a long, long moment. Then he swung around and stormed out of the room.

"Thor isn't king?"

Odin watched the door slam behind his oldest child before turning to the princess. He simply shook his head.

"The ceremony was, ah, interrupted." Loki put in.

Aldrif's eyes flickered from Odin's anger to Thor's. Odin didn't seem about to fix the situation.

"I'm sorry." It didn't seem like enough. "I should have handled it."

And she strode off, trailing ashes of a dead monster in her wake.

Her first fight. She should have been happy.

Instead, she didn't feel like she'd ever be anything but cold.


	3. Chapter 3

Aldrif made her way to a sitting room, a place she knew her brothers could find her if they wished to check on her, and collapsed onto a long sofa. Her ribs ached where the Frost Giant had frozen her chest plate and after finally ripping the cursed armor off and tossing it to the floor, she wasn't sure what she could do but wait for it to feel better. Sif found the princess like that, went to speak to a servant. She returned to spend five minutes pleasantly discussing what Aldrif could have done better and reassuring the younger Asgardian that a first fight was always like that.

"And most of us had another warrior at our side," Sif finished. Her eyes crinkled in a smile. "Usually Thor."

"Bad luck I chose a time when he was distracted." Aldrif kept her voice light..If she'd managed just a bit longer, would her brother be king now? What had she cost him? But Sif was laughing.

"By something other than battle. Who would have thought? Ah, Hogun."

"Hogun?" Aldrif looked up in surprise. He stood in the doorway for a moment, looking back and forth between the two of them, slightly out of breath and looking more grim than usual. His eyes finally found where her hand awkwardly held her side and he strode quickly across the room to join her on the sofa.

"What happened?"

"Jotun brushed my armor." Aldrif shifted her hands and he leaned over her, lightly brushing the aching cold with the tip of his fingers. "I can't feel that at all." She managed not to let her voice waver.

"Princess is finally all grown up and risking her life," Loki teased as he appeared. He watched Hogun for a moment, looking concerned as his sister was examined. "What are you thinking, sister?"

How did he do that? Watch her when she thought he wasn't looking?

"I want to know what the Jotun are up to." Aldrif stared down at her hand and let the shadow appear, curling around it. She caught Hogun's eye on it but he didn't even blink.

"Will you fetch me one of the healing stones, Aldrif?" He said as he looked back to her side. He held out a hand as the shadow reached out, sneaking a stone from the fire a few feet away. It stung Aldrif's fingers but the warrior didn't wince as she dropped it into his hand. "Thank you."

"I just… I don't think-the Jotun, I mean-I don't think it was the plan of but a few."

Sif began to comment but Loki had stepped forward, interrupting. "Father does."

Aldrif sighed, half from the muddle in her brain and half from the return of feeling as Hogun touched the healing stone to her side, the warmth bleeding through the fabric of her dress. "I know."

"Thor doesn't."

"I know."

"So what are you going to do?" Loki moved to lounge on the couch beside Sif. She spared him a glance and then sent Aldrif a questioning look as well.

"What do you plan, Aldrif?"

Aldrif looked to Hogun for help but he looked away when she met his eyes. The princess cast a glance around the room and found nothing to help her. Only three warriors watching her. Only her useless armor on the floor. Only the ashes that still stung to look at.

"Even if I had a plan, I don't think I would be the right one to carry it out."

Curses, it burned even worse to admit that.

"Yes, I can't quite picture you marching into Jotunheim and returning with a Frost Giant's head on a platter," Loki smirked at the thought.

"That's what Thor wants?" Hogun said quietly.

Sif winced.

Of course, it was.

"He and the rest of your warriors three are designing a plan as we speak." Loki leaned back his head and closed his eyes, propping up his feet by the fire. "That or finishing off the canceled banquet. Volstagg is with them, after all." The prince opened one eye to look from Sif to Hogun. "You two might want to go speak with him as well."

They each gave Aldrif a questioning glance, Hogun still holding the stone to her side. She nodded her head toward the door and replaced Hogun's hand on the stone as he pulled away, almost jerking away to keep their fingers from touching. Aldrif watched the two warriors hurry away, her eyes puzzled as they studied Hogun. Then Sif and Hogun were gone and she could turn back to her brother. He was back to pretending to be asleep but she could feel him waiting for her to say something. Do something. For her to be Thor's sister.

"It isn't what I want," she said finally.

"Of course not," Loki shrugged. "It's madness. But how are you going to stop him?"

His sister stared at him. "I can't. It's _Thor_."

Loki opened one eye yet again. He studied her for a long moment, what felt like forever.

"Is that what you think?" He asked finally, stretching as he stood to leave. "Alright."

Aldrif wrinkled her nose as he left, trying to look grumpy.

It was just like Loki to know the best words to torture her.

...

Author's note:

I know it's short. But nothing will be published anytime soon if I don't get something out there-my friend and I started live-streaming Xbox so that's been taking up my brain and i need some feedback in there to get the writing kick started again. Lame, I know. Let me know what you think of where this is going! I have stuff that will happen like halfway through the movie but there still holes to fill. Also, I got Grammarly so that's a thing.


	4. Chapter 4

Aldrif was restless after that.

She didn't even notice that shadows began to grow stronger around her, nor Loki's considering frown as he'd passed through them to walk away. In her mind she'd already been alone, wrestling with the future again.

Some clatter of servants outside broke her out of thought with a jump and a scramble for a sword that wasn't at her side. Gradually she told herself that she was in Asgard, she was safe but those words were hollow now.

Her dress felt flimsy.

Defenseless.

Where was her father? Her mother? Weren't they going to check on her?

Aldrif shivered and called the shadows to her-for a moment they trailed her torso as well as her arms, forming a thin layer of armor… but the effort was too much and soon they were gone completely. The room returned to bright light. Aldrif walked out.

She was in a full set of silver and white armor with a sword at her side when she stepped into the throne room an hour or so later, smiling painfully as she considered how late she technically was for Thor's coronation. But she didn't see Odin.

"Father-?"

"Sister!"

Her arm was caught from the side and she nearly sliced into Thor's arm as she whipped out her sword. He laughed appreciatively.

"Where's Father?"

"Oh, come, Aldrif. You had your first fight today!" He reached past the sword, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Destroyed your enemy! You should be celebrating."

She let him lead her out, not bothering to sheathe the sword. "One got away."

They walked in silence for a moment, Thor considering, arm still around her shoulder.

"Another reason they must be punished," He said finally. His voice was no longer angry. It was simply... unforgiving.

"His friends are dead." Aldrif brushed imaginary ash off the hilt of her sword. She couldn't manage to look up at her brother. "He's not going to try again."

"Not alone."

They'd left the main hallway of the palace and began winding down a side stairway. Every so often light passed through a window and Aldrif had to fight not to wince away. She was beginning to feel a headache coming on.

"Brother, I almost lost my first fight. Now you want me to go take on an army?"

He smirked. "Not alone." He repeated. He pulled away and swung open a door.

Aldrif shook her head as she walked outside, yet more gold glittering at her poor eyes.

"Father…"

"I told Mother and Father you were asleep." Thor cut through her last excuse.

Aldrif ran her fingers over the hilt of her sword, trying to make it more familiar, make it rest easier in her hand. Yesterday she'd thought she knew everything there was to know about it.

"I want… I want to do the talking. I want answers first, Odinson."

"Excellent," Loki appeared on her other side. "Spin up a tale and give them nightmares so bad, they'll beg to surrender."

They moved outside. A horse waited for each of them and four more were ridden by the Warriors Three and Sif. Aldrif shifted uncomfortably, not ready for the decision-not ready to give up the fight.

"And when that plan fails as spectacularly as all your stories do?"

"I'll be at your side the whole time," Loki promised.

Fandral grinned. "Or at least he'll appear to be there."

Loki glared at Fandral but his words had been enough of a push. Aldrif swung herself onto a gorgeous white stallion she knew was meant to be Thor's horse, daring him with a smile to make a fuss. He just laughed, clapping Loki on the back and then mounting the mare beside his little sister.

"We ride forth as a family," Thor told her proudly. "I have waited for this day."

"Let us hope we all ride back." Loki sighed from behind.

Aldrif straightened a lock of her mount's mane and then the seven of them were moving forward. Soon they had left the city and its regal walls and the clatter of hooves followed them down the iridescent road and echoed over the waters that surrounded Asgard. Thor pulled ahead, as always and his red cloak billowed out brilliantly, the only spot of color. Loki's darker blended with the scenery and his pose was tense as he tried and failed to keep up with his brother. Aldrif was pensive and had long ago fallen behind, soon bringing up the rear with Volstagg now at her side. She could feel him considering her but she ignored the long look, assuming he was wondering if she was ready for watched the road pass by with a severe expression.

When was the last time she'd ridden the Bifrost? Odin's youngest considered this as the brass Observatory grew larger and larger on the horizon.

Had she ever even ridden the road out without her father or mother? And now they both seemed too far behind her... They arrived at the road's end but she was slow to dismount as she considered the city skyline and only caught the end of the conversation as she finally followed the group. Aldrif found herself hiding slightly behind Hogun in hopes that Heimdall would ignore her.

"For ages have I guarded Asgard," the gatekeeper was saying. "And kept it safe from those who would do it harm. In all that time, never has an enemy slipped by my watch, never has an enemy harmed our people - until this day. I wish to know how that happened." His face turned toward the princess and she smiled at herself and stepped out to join the abashed Loki. "You have my apology and I am in your debt, Odindotter."

Aldrif's eyes widened in surprise. She looked to Thor but he was frowning still, waiting for the conversation to be over so they could leave.

"If you truly will help us reach the enemy, the debt is more than gone." She said finally, shaking her head. She could feel a hint of disapproval from either side-no doubt her brothers would have asked for something more. Everyone seemed to be waiting for her to say more, now that she thought of it. She called up a shadow to play on her fingers, frowning at Thor and then Heimdall. "Should we not go?"

She didn't wait for an answer, sweeping into the Observatory and up the platform. Hogun was beside her soon after and then Loki, back to keeping his promise. Aldrif nodded at Hogun and then held out a hand. She studied the air around it for a moment and then turned to her brother, catching sight of the gatekeeper's approach behind them.

"Does this place feel strange to you as well?"

Loki grinned, "It's called magic, little sister." He nodded at her other hand, where a shadow had appeared at some point to wind around her wrist. "I thought you'd be used to it by now."

"Not… not this much of it."

She'd spoken too soon.

Heimdall's sword slid into place and the Observatory filled with lightning and it took all of Aldrif's self-control not to see if she could steal some power for herself. She'd tried once, a few hundred years ago when her mother had first begun to teach her magic-she'd nearly lost a hand.

And, worse, Heimdall had given her a disapproving look.

The walls began to spin. She could feel the power coating her skin, swelling to drown them all.

"Be warned. I will honor my sworn oath to protect this Realm as its Gatekeeper. If your return threatens the safety of Asgard, Bifrost will remain closed to you. You'll be left to die in the cold wastes of Jotunheim."

"Thank you." And Aldrif was a burst of light.

Then she was gone.

Thor and the others looked at each other nervously. With a shrug, Loki disappeared as well.

"One last question," Volstagg called. "Couldn't you just leave the bridge open for us?"

"To keep this bridge open would unleash the full power of the Bifrost and destroy Jotunheim with you upon it," Heimdall said gravely.

Sif and Fandral disappeared.

"Ah." Volstagg winced, a frown under his beard. "Never mind then."

And at last, he and Thor were thrown forward to join the others.

When they arrived, their friends were not the only ones waiting.

Aldrif had landed first and instantly found herself in the middle of frozen wasteland. Cliffs of ice rose before her as she walked forward. She didn't like the way her boots slid slightly as they met the ground. She didn't like the way her side was a little colder than the rest of her. She would have to ask Hogun about that; if she could find a way to ask and not sound like she was whining or, worse, seeking attention. Aldrif shook her head and then raised it to a throne before her.

A Jotun sat there. The biggest one she'd seen. A king.

Laufey.

She arrived at the base of the throne as the others began to flash into view.

"You've come a long way to die, Asgardian." Red eyes stared at her.

Aldrif stood taller. She held out a hand to stop Thor from rushing forward.

"And your men came a long way to kill me." She replied.

Thor growled. Aldrif took a small step to the side, just enough to put him behind herself. Her hands clasped behind her back to keep from grabbing at her sword again. She couldn't manage to make herself look away long enough to know where the others stood.

The Jotun sneered at her.

Aldrif tried again. "Are you looking for war? Who are your allies that you broke into Asgard?"

"Allies." He scoffed. He stood and began to walk toward her, arm forming a familiar weapon of ice. Aldrif set her feet against the ground and let her hand begin to gather shadow beneath her cloak. "Why do I need allies when the house of Odin has so many traitors?"

"That's not a name." Aldrif snapped. "If you really don't want war, you're certainly making it easy to blame you."

"Blame the murderer who is your father, princess." He hissed. "If you want peace, why do you come with warriors, armed for battle? You children know nothing of your history."

Aldrif opened her mouth and then reconsidered. "What a strange thing to say."

"That's because it's lies." Thor finally lost his temper. "He's just mocking us, Aldrif. Wasting our time."

The air stilled. Aldrif glanced toward her brother and found, waiting, a dozen Jotun surrounding them and glaring down at the Asgardians. The king was calling more ice, coating himself with it. Aldrif lost the shadow around her hand, found her breath growing quicker. She held on a moment longer and then she darted behind Thor and wrapped her cloak tighter around her aching side.

Loki dashed in to fill her place.

But of course he didn't talk to the king.

"Thor," Her brother whispered. "Stop and think. Look around you."

Thor shrugged him off. "I know what I'm doing, brother."

The king stepped forward, eyes now locked on the eldest prince.

"You know not what your actions would unleash. I do." His eyes moved to Loki and then to Aldrif. "Go now. While I still allow it."

Loki looked to Aldrif. She said nothing. With a nod, he turned back to the king. "We accept your most gracious offer." He moved to Aldrif's side, looping an arm through her elbow. "Come on, princess. Brother, catch up."

Aldrif didn't move; Thor wasn't following.

"Thor." She called. Nothing. She made her voice sound more like their mother's " _Thor Odinson._ "

He turned to follow her. She nearly collapsed with relief, leaning a little too heavily on her second brother. Her eyes glanced up at Laufey.

He met her eyes.

He smiled.

And then he leaned forward and whispered something to Thor.

"Wait!"

Aldrif lunged. Her hand became shadow, stretched out, faster then her eyes could follow. The shadow seized Mjolnir, wrapped its handle, consumed it.

But it couldn't stop it.

And the hammer, wrapped with her power, slammed into the smiling King of Jotun. He flew in an arc, skating through the cold air, until his flight was stopped by a crash against the icy cliff.

The world froze for a moment.

Loki's voice broke through just as the last echo died down.

"Well." He muttered. "Sh**."

Aldrif agreed whole-heartedly.


	5. Chapter 5

_(Author's note: I'm making a switch to more Ragnorak type speakingness. Will edit previous chapters later. Love you, bye.)_

...

For a moment, Aldrif was paralyzed, still trying to halt the swing of Mjolnir. Monsters began swarming down from the cliffs above them, up from the canyon behind them. She spun to see them, leaping, closer and closer but her hand stayed stretched toward her brother.

He was yelling her name. Annoyed at first. By the time she noticed she was holding him in place, he sounded a bit nervous.

She let go.

Her shadow snapped back to her in an instant and shot out her opposite hand to stab a Jotun lunging at Loki. A moment later she realized it was just an illusion but she was already dodging under another's swing and wondering if the shadows could form a sword and a shield.

A thought for later.

Another Jotun.

She jumped back, black shadows broke his spear of ice. She drew her sword and swung as it lunged at her. Her shadow lengthened into a whip, then a snake. The princess swung desperately-she had to get rid of this one, she couldn't see who it was that was trying to get close to her, she couldn't fight anyone else, she couldn't tell if it was one of her friends, was that the canyon behind her?

She had a moment of vertigo.

The shadows disappeared.

The Jotun's face was inches from hers, growling.

And then it was gone, tackled to the side, thrown off the edge.

Aldrif let herself breathe as she took in the chaos. She was separated from the chaos but she could see well enough to know they weren't winning. She stood ready, watching the back of whoever had saved her as they struggled to their feet.

There was Thor. No one could get near him.

Sif was fine.

The warriors three fought near each other. Hogun yelled something at her when he saw her looking, a warning, but her eyes were flashing to Loki's illusion.

Except a Jotun grabbed the illusion.

She knew what happened when a Jotun touched you.

"Loki!" The princess took two desperate steps forward and then… it occurred to her to look at her rescuer. Because an illusion couldn't have tackled that Jotun. Because her friends were all being overwhelmed by hundreds of Frost Giants.

And sure enough.

It was a Jotun beside her.

Staring at her with its hands in the air.

Aldrif gaped at it.

Squinted.

"You!"

"Wait. Wait, let me speak." Its voice wasn't scared, though it was hard to tell through the crackle of ice and crash of fighting around them. It was thin for a Jotun-what made it recognizable as the one who had fled. Still bigger than her.

"You broke into Asgard!" Aldrif sheathed her sword and formed the blades of shadow around her hands again. "Who sent you?" Pointless question. "Why does Laufey want to fight us?"

"Because he thinks we can win." The Jotun shrugged, hopeless, towering two feet over her. "But we can't."

Aldrif shifted from one foot to the other. She looked back toward Loki, already back in the fight. Strange… But it was probably his illusion. She had to find him. They had to get away so that Heimdall could open the bridge.

"Why did you help me?" Aldrif demanded, not even bothering to look at it. At him.

"I'm trying to help my people."

Aldrif's arms were starting to grow heavy. She looked back to the battle to find that the Jotun had noticed the lack of action between her and the former thief. Several were starting toward them and not all of their eyes were on her.

"What would you have me do?" She stepped toward him. "You should swing at me, by the way."

"If you can," He suddenly leapt at her, ice clanging against solid night and then she was inches from another blue face. At least this one meant to be friendly. "Make peace between our people. We only just started coming back from the edge of extinction."

"That might be tough. Most of your friends don't seem to mind rekindling things." Aldrif shoved him off and he fell back, inches away from the edge of the icy cliff, a sickening crunch coming from the ground where he landed. "Sorry. Should have warned you."

"It's fine." The Jotun glanced at the fight. It was growing closer; both sides were starting to take notice of them. "And you're looking at Laufey's army. Are all your people soldiers?" He struggled to his feet. "You have magic. You can find me again and we can show Odin…" Red eyes turned frustrated as he realized he was almost out of time, he couldn't finish convincing her. "Will you try?"

"Your name?"

He swallowed. "Kolbite."

"I'll see what I can do." One less Jotun trying to kill her, right? And there was going to be a fight when they got home anyway. She countered a few more of Kolbite's strikes and then turned one of her shadows to face the incoming soldiers. "Unless I die." She observed lightly.

Kolbite's inhuman face fought off a smile. "Understandable."

He stepped back, apparently waiting for the backup to arrive.

Aldrif found her family gathered together, ready for the Bifrost, waiting for her. She caught sight of Loki holding Thor back, waving for her to hurry. They were to her right, along the edge of the same cliff. A shield of shadows and a few seconds of sprinting and she'd be there.

The princess gathered her energy, shadows gathering toward her from the ground, eyes turning blacker as the Jotun grew nearer. A second for each of the twelve running toward her and then she sent her shield blasting forward, knocking each of them to the ground with the same sickening crunch as when she'd hit Kolbite.

Except this time the crunch continued into an echo.

And then a long crack appeared where her shield had hit the Jotun.

Where it had hit the ground.

"Wait… no."

Aldrif had enough to time to turn embarrassed, matte black eyes toward her brothers. before the ice split in two and took her, Kolbite, and twelve very angry Frost Giants down with it.

And she got to watch the light of the Bifrost take all her friends home.

...

Author's note:

I had to make up a name. it might change. let me know what you think but of that name specifically ;)


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